Posts Tagged: outfit post

Working mom outfit idea: Crisp in Granny Smith green

By IN More Fabulous Fridays, Personal Style

Granny Smith

Image collage site Polyvore is a great tool for discovering your personal style–and finding outfit ideas. Today’s More Fabulous Friday features a look to try from Polyvore.

Have you embraced the printed pants trend or are you holding out? I’ll admit they’re hard to get used to at first. (And so far I’ve only gotten as brave as tiny polka dots and a red-on-red texture.)

More Fabulous Fridays: Wrap up your work week with a working mom style treatBut when I see how delicious a black-and-white graphic print pant looks with these touches of Granny Smith apple green, they get harder to resist! And the white blouse helps keep everything from shouting too loudly.

(OK, the Valentino fantasy shoes don’t hurt, either.)

You can recreate this look by trying a black and white print pant, in a bold or subtle pattern, paired with a bright color like this green. Or if solid green pants seem less daring, swap the pairing.

  • Fab mamas: Printed pants–yea or nay?

Get fabulous. Be fabulous. Declare your right to discover and manifest your personal style with the Fab Mama Style Manifesto.

Working mom outfit of the week: Only from certain angles

By IN Personal Style, Style, Work It Wednesdays

Working mom Casual Friday outfit featuring an orange-red bat-wing blouse, denim pencil skirt, leopard spot necklace, Sam Edelman sandals. Detail view of Casual Friday working mom outfit, including faux leather cream jacket, Sam Edelman sandals, Kate Spade leopard spot necklace

Fab mamas, I don’t know what to think about this shirt. I like the color, a tomato red with an orange undertone. And I like the unusual shape. Mostly.

OK, only from certain angles.

Work It Wednesdays: Working mom outfit photosDepending on how I stand and where I put my arms, I like it: it’s a sort of empire-waist / bat-wing mashup.

The rest of the time? It kinda looks like a maternity shirt. And “Fooled you! I’m not really pregnant!” isn’t the look I’m trying to go for.

(Another reason photos can be more helpful than just glancing at the full-length mirror.)

Now the sandals I love from every angle. Orange/coral + metallic silver + leopard print shouldn’t work, but it totally does, and they’re comfortable to walk in. The leopard detail suggested this necklace (seen before here).

And this cotton twill denim-like pencil skirt is a workhorse of my wardrobe because it pairs with absolutely everything.

Two out of three ain’t bad.

  • Fab mamas: Should the pseudo-maternity shirt stay or should it go?

Top: H&M (similar)
Skirt: Banana Republic (similar)
Necklace: Kate Spade “Show Your Spots” (similar)
Sandals: Sam Edelman Trina (available here)
Working Mom Outfit Level: 3/Casual Friday

Learn more about how to build outfits–and how to find the garments for them that flatter your body and personal style–with “No More Yoga Pants: How to Dress Better, Shop Smarter and Reclaim Your Style.” Join the Style List to be the first to hear when it launches (and get a discount code, too).

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Working mom outfit of the week: Color un-blocking

By IN Personal Style, Work It Wednesdays

Working mom outfit of the week: Color "unblocking." A weekend chic look featuring white sweater and T-shirts with Paige bootcut denim, red flats, and multicolored sweater.

One of the biggest trends of recent seasons has been color blocking: wearing clothes in different solid colors to create a vivid contrast.

What’s the opposite of color blocking? (Color un-blocking?)

Work It Wednesdays: Working mom outfit photosIt’s sometimes called tone on tone; it’s when you wear several layers of the same or very similar colors.

When I needed a weekend chic outfit for a cool spring day, I decided to layer up: white T-shirt under white long-sleeved shirt under white 3/4 sleeve sweater. (And when the wind really kicked up, my leather jacket on top.)

With no other color, it might’ve been a little boring, so I added a multicolored scarf and my suddenly ubiquitous new red flats. (But boy their Cost Per Wear keeps going down!)

  • Fab mamas: Do you like to color block or wear tone-on-tone? What are your favorite colors?

Jacket: DKNY (similar)
Sweater: Bennetton (similar)
T-shirts: Uniqlo, Old Navy (similar, similar)
Jeans: Paige Hidden Hills (available here)
Flats: Maria Sharapova for Cole Haan (available here)
Scarf: Olsenboye (similar)
Working Mom Outfit Level: 2/Weekend Chic

Learn more about how to build outfits–and how to find the garments for them that flatter your body and personal style–with “No More Yoga Pants: How to Dress Better, Shop Smarter and Reclaim Your Style.” Join the Style List to be the first to hear when it launches (and get a discount code, too).

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Working mom outfit of the week: Prints, patterns and little red flats

By IN Personal Style, Work It Wednesdays

Weekend chic working mom outfit idea: Patterned sweater, red flats

Accessories, like shoes and scarves, are one of the easiest ways to add more color to your wardrobe.

Work It Wednesdays: Working mom outfit photosAnd after running a series of outfit idea photos on Try This Thursdays in February featuring little red flats, I was smitten. (I’ve got ‘em on here, too.)

On a cool spring weekend chic day of shopping and errands, they were the natural choice to wear with my multi-colored, multi-patterned Lia Molly sweater.

So much more fun than a neutral!

  • Fab mamas: Do you like to wear colorful shoes? How do you incorporate color into your wardrobe?

Sweater: Lia Molly (one available on eBay)
Jeans: James Jeans Couture (similar here, here)
Flats: Maria Sharapova for Cole Haan (available here)
Working Mom Outfit Level: 2/Weekend Chic

Learn more about how to build outfits–and how to find the garments for them that flatter your body and personal style–with “No More Yoga Pants: How to Dress Better, Shop Smarter and Reclaim Your Style.” Join the Style List to be the first to hear when it launches (and get a discount code, too).

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Working mom outfit idea: Two looks, two levels, one style

By IN More Fabulous Fridays, Personal Style

Boho work/boho weekend

Image collage site Polyvore is a great tool for discovering your personal style–and finding outfit ideas. Today’s More Fabulous Friday features a look to try from Polyvore.

I love this set from Professionality because it demonstrates two concepts in personal style: how to express your own style in outfits–in this, case boho–and how to re-use pieces in your wardrobe to create outfits for different occasions (or Levels of Working Mom Outfits).

More Fabulous Fridays: Wrap up your work week with a working mom style treatDo these looks resonate with you? If so, you might like the natural, easy pieces that characterize the boho aesthetic.

You can make the same transition in your wardrobe by keeping common foundation pieces (in this case, the safari jacket and silk skirt) and trading out the accessories; learn more here on how to take your outfit up (or down) a level.

  • Fab mamas: Are you a boho gal? How do you transition your outfits from weekend to work, or day to night?

Get fabulous. Be fabulous. Declare your right to discover and manifest your personal style with the Fab Mama Style Manifesto.

Personal Style In Action: Ideal Date Night outfit

By IN Personal Style, Work It Wednesdays

Personal Style in Action: Ideal working mom Date Night oufit: turquoise fit 'n' flare dress, nude pumps, chunky choker necklace
Personal Style in Action is a series about putting personal style into practice through specific looks for each level of The 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits.

For the last few Work It Wednesdays, we’ve been building outfits out of our favorite clothes, working our way up the 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits.

Work It Wednesdays: Working mom outfit photosAnd now we’re at the top, Level 5, Date Night. It doesn’t get dressier than this (unless I add a level for Inaugural Ball or Met Gala–but at that point you’re wearing a big ol’ ballgown, right?).

I find that this level is often the easiest to put together because the outfit formula is so straightforward: dress + heels + shiny, sparkly things.

(You could also do a dressy pant, such as in fine wool or velvet, with an equally dressy shirt.)

This example from my wardrobe follows the formula like this:

  • Dress: I love the look of a fit ‘n’ flare dress, and this beautiful turquoise color just makes me feel happy. (Similar here.)
  • Heels: I’ve worn this dress with silver strappy sandals before, but this time I opted for nude patent pumps. (Ivanka Trump Indico.)
  • Jewelry: When I wear silver shoes, I wear more silver jewelry. Since the rest of the palette was non-metallic, I decided to wear my colorful stone choker. (Similar.)

Now that I’ve picked out the outfit, it’s time to plan the date, right? :)

  • Fab mamas: What’s your favorite outfit for a Date Night on the town?

Learn more about how to build outfits–and how to find the garments for them that flatter your body and personal style. Sign up for style to get tips, tricks and ideas, straight to your inbox. As a thank you gift, I’ll send you “7 Days to Better Shopping,” a week-long email mini-course in making the most of the mall.

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Personal Style In Action: Ideal Client Meeting outfit

By IN Personal Style, Work It Wednesdays

Personal style in action: Working mom client meeting outfit

Personal Style in Action is a series about putting personal style into practice through specific looks for each level of The 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits.

For the last few Work It Wednesdays, we’ve been building outfits out of our favorite clothes, working our way up the 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits.

Work It Wednesdays: Working mom outfit photosNow we’re really getting ready to work it with Level 4, Client Meeting–otherwise known as serious career wear. This is your corporate office look, your interview outfit, your asking-for-a-raise ensemble.

The quickest shortcut to Client Meeting is a suit, of course.

The alternative outfit formula is this: blazer or jacket + dress trouser or skirt + dressy top + heels or very nice flats.

This example from my closet is a combination of the two: I’m wearing two separates that have the appearance of a suit when worn together.

  • Blazer: A one-button style from Ann Taylor. (You really can’t go wrong with Ann Taylor for career wear, can you? Similar here.)
  • Skirt: My newly upgraded pencil skirt, from Banana Republic (similar).
  • Dressy top: This is where I injected a bit of my own personal style into an otherwise quite conservative look. This sleeveless shell from LOFT has a sequined zebra stripe pattern (similar).
  • Heels: For me, a pair of kitten heels are the most comfortable option (similar).

Hmm, maybe I should go ask for a raise now! :)

  • Fab mamas: What’s your ideal Client Meeting career outfit?

Learn more about how to build outfits–and how to find the garments for them that flatter your body and personal style. Join the Style List to get tips, tricks and ideas, straight to your inbox. As a thank you gift, I’ll send you 7 Days to Better Shopping, a week-long email guide to making the most of the mall.

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